transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Indications

• depression in combination with serotinin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
• more effective alone than placebo, but less effective than escitalopram
• may be useful for treatment of aphasia after stroke

Clinical significance

• stimulation of diminished right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity & reduction of hemispheric imbalance in depression
• transcranial direct current stimulation activating the right prefrontal cortex might enhance creative thinking

Procedure

• application of weak direct current that runs from an anode electrode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to a cathode electrode over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Principal:
• current from anode to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increases cortical excitability
• current to cathode from right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex decreases cortical excitability

More general terms

• transcranial neurostimulation
• electrical stimulation